In 1900, Germany declared a protectorate over Western Samoa, while the smaller eastern islands became American. The seat of the
German administration was established at APIA.
Dissatisfied with German colonial rule, Samoans in 1908 formed the MAU A PULE resistance movement, which was non-violent; in
1909 it's leader was deported to the Mariana islands.
World War I broke out in 1914; the German colony was occupied on August 29th 1914 by 1,400 troops from New Zealand; over 8,000
Samoans fell victim to an influenza epidemics (more than 20 % of a population estimated at 40,000 in 1912).
The German governor in 1914 was deported to Fiji as a prisoner-of-war; in 1916, the German language SAMOANISCHE ZEITUNG
(Samoan gazette) was suppressed.

The German acquisition of Western Samoa in 1899/1900 was motivated rather by political motives - to appease the German public
expectation of further colonial expansion - than of realistic economic expectations. Samoa, with a comparatively insignificant
population and without a natural harbour - travelers to Western Samoa used the harbour of Pago-Pago in American Samoa did not
offer much potential for German commerce; over 95 % of the ships arriving at Western Samoa were not sailing under the German
flag.
A specific Samoan export product was the KAVA ROOT, which was used as herbal medicine.